Operation Sealion AAR#3 Fallschirmjager!

With the exciting new para drop front opened up by WWPD in their global campaign Operation Sealion, I was champing at the bit to get my 1st FD into the fray.  My wife volunteered to meet me with her Welsh Guards Rifle company in the farm land of Hertfordshire.

Here is a short story I wrote up to go along with the Bat Rep. 

Both of us made up our companies without knowing the others list.  We set up the table first and then rolled for a mission getting No Retreat.  Since we both had infantry companies we rolled to see who the attacker would be.  Sierra's Guards getting that honor.  These lists are generated using Easy Army.

Fallschirmjager Kompanie (Grey Wolf)

Fallschirmjägerkompanie HQ  p.33	2 1 3	Cmd Panzerfaust SMG team Panzerschreck team 8cm GW42 (Stummelwerfer) mortar	180
Combat Platoons
Fallschirmjäger Platoon  p.33	1 9	Cmd Panzerfaust SMG team Rifle/MG team	275
Fallschirmjäger Platoon  p.33	1 6	Cmd Panzerfaust SMG team Rifle/MG team	195
Weapons Platoons
Fallschirmjäger Machine-gun Platoon  p.34	1 4	Cmd SMG team MG42 HMG	150
Fallschirmjäger Light Gun Platoon  p.34	1 2	Cmd Panzerknacker SMG team 7.5cm LG40 recoilless gun	60
Regimental Support Platoons
Fallschirmjäger Anti-Tank Gun Platoon  p.35	1 4	Cmd SMG team 7.5cm PaK40 gun	240
Divisional Support
Fallschirmjäger Artillery Battery  p.36	1 1 4 2	Cmd SMG team Staff team 10.5cm leFH18/40 howitzer Observer Rifle team	240
Air Support  p.172	3	Sporadic Air Support Ju 87D Stuka	100
Company Points:			1440

Guards Rifle Company Welsh (Hell's Highway)

Guards Rifle Company HQ  p.25	2	Cmd Rifle team	40
Combat Platoons
Guards Rifle Platoon  p.25	1 1 1 6	Cmd Rifle/MG team PIAT team Light Mortar team Rifle/MG team	185
Guards Rifle Platoon  p.25	1 1 1 6	Cmd Rifle/MG team PIAT team Light Mortar team Rifle/MG team	185
Weapons Platoons
Guards Mortar Platoon  p.26	1 2 4	Cmd Rifle team Observer Rifle team ML 3" Mk II Mortar	155
Guards Anti-tank Platoon  p.27	1 1 4 4	Cmd Rifle team Troop Carrier OQF 6 pdr gun Loyd Carrier	160
Brigade Support
Guards Armoured Recce Platoon  p.23	3 1	Cromwell IV Challenger A30	440
Divisional Support
Armoured Car Platoon  p.31	2 1	Daimler I Daimler Dingo	125
Field Battery, Royal Artillery  p.34	2 1 1 1 4	Cmd Rifle team Staff team Observer Rifle team OP Carrier OQF 25 pdr gun	210
Company Points:			1500

I combat attached out all the HQ assets as well as the HMG platoon to my two FJ platoons.  Leaving me with 5 platoons and 1 airsupport.

German Deployment is all across the board with my large FJ platoon strung out all the way.  Pak 40s are intermingled with excellent firing lines.  All in prepared positions.

My Right flank

 My Left flank

 View from the Welsh side.  Sierra has everything on the table.  25pdrs set up behind hill.  Mortars on the edge of the wood in the bottom right.  Rifles center and Right with Cromwells, Recce and 6 pounders.

25 pounders loading smoke rounds

 Observers wondering how the Rifles are going to get over there!

 6pdrs hitching a ride to the front

Attacker has the first move.  Sierra moves her Daimlers and her Dingo up towards the bridge area in the village.  Everything else follows with her main force going up the right side.  Smoke drops and the wind direction is perfect.  Right across the front!  Paks are blind.  No shooting other than smoke bombardments for the Guards.

Pretty uneventfull as the paratroopers wait in their foxholes for the Welsh to close into the killing ground.  But the Luftwaffe makes an appearance!

 And takes one out!

More maneuvering.  Daimlers remove GTG on a couple teams in LOS.  25 pdrs unpin.  Send more smoke down range keeping the Paks and some HMGs shrouded.  One Cromwell gets up on the bridge in town and spots a Panzerschreck and scores a hit with the main gun sending the team to meet the maker!
 The Welsh are closing fast on the German Left flank.

The Luftwaffe swoops in again!  Taking out another Gun and the staff team this time.  

 The HMG on the hill is like HELL YA COME GET SOME!

 Or not.....  Damn this Island is foggy!

The Guards press on getting into assault range as they cross the river.  More smoke keeps the FJ from being able to fire.  And otherwise they keep silent not wanting to give away their GTG status just yet.
Recce is busy removing some of the GTG to enable the arty observers to be range in on something.


Reserves arrive in the form of 10.5s.  They set up immediately and observers move at the double to get into better positons.

 One of the Pak 40s cant resist and decides to take the shot at the Cromwell on the bridge.  Its a Kill!

More smoke!
The Welsh left moves up behind a hedge out of range of the defenders just to keep pressure on the other objective.   The Right side Cromwells get into position to cross the river, 6 pdrs take up long range firing positions in cover.  And the Infantry tries to push ahead but gets pinned by a bombardment from the 10.5s.

No airsupport this time!   But the 2nd platoon makes it on and head to the front.  They know their friends are somewhere in that smoke.

The left flank holds position.
The right flank flounders in the river a bit making little progress as they try to maneuver to allow for covering fire and the Cromwells to get across.  They finally make it but one Pak 40 decides its time to make their presence known.  And the Challenger bites it.

No Air support and No Reserves.
Aside from moving the 2nd FJ platoon up farther and the one PaK kill no other action.  Anyone who isnt shrouded in smoke doesnt want to give up GTG just yet when everything they can shoot at requires a 6+ atm.


After being pinned and getting slowed by the river the right side is still not in assault range.  (Turn 5) But both the 25 pounders and the mortars drop smoke making it possible for them to close in.  An assault will happen next turn!
The whole front is blanketed.  The Welsh Right

 The Welsh Left

 View down the middle.

View from the German side

Turn 6 arrives and the Welsh make their move.  Finally in assault range with both the Cromwells and the infantry.  Smoke is in place as well.  But they are not able to pin!   Everything that can shoot shoots.  Even the Dingo and the Daimlers give it a go.  But Sierra's boys only manage 4 hits.  So close.  But she goes for it anyway.  Its turn 6 and we decided to go for max 8 turns.  (Smoke removed for clarity)

 Welsh Left flank.  The 2nd platoon decides its time to turn up the heat and heads across the river.

 Defensive fire....  HMG, SMG, and 2 Rifle/MGs get to shoot needing 5+.  And they pull it off stopping the Infantry.  No kills though.  The Welsh have Matrix like reflexes.

 The Cromwells have a go next.  But they both miss their swings!  And the Fearless FJ charge forth with the 2IC and his Panzerfaust in hand.  They finish of the tanks and consolidate back around the objective.

The Luftwaffe makes its final appearance and swoops in on the mortars that have been smoking everything in site all game.  One is shot down by the DINGO!!  But the other carries on and takes out one mortar.

 Its now turn 7 and the Welsh rally to assault again.  This time defensive fire doesnt stop them.Their charge takes out the Rifle/MG team and then the 2IC!  Who gets hit twice and then fails  his Warrior saves!

 The Welsh consolidate onto the objective but the FJ still contests with the HMG on the hill.

By now its the end of turn 7 and the FJ reserves are pouring over the hill and hedges to retake the objective.  With little hope of holding on Sierra decides to retreat to fight another day.  The FJ are victorious!

 View of the field as the Guards call it a day.

6-1 Victory for the Axis.